Westfield as seen from Grenfell Tower, Lancaster Green, North Kensington.

POLICE are to set up new bases in Westfield shopping centre and Bush Theatre following the closure of Shepherd’s Bush police station front counter.

The station, in Uxbridge Road, is among 63 out of 136 front counters across the capital to close.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson published his final Police and Crime Plan on Monday (March 25) following a public consultation in a bid to save £500million by 2015. Changes would also see around 2,600 officers redeployed in Safer Neighbourhood Teams across the Met - including 92 more in the borough taking the total up to 139.

Fulham police station will have its 24 hours service reduced to day time only, but Hammersmith station will continue to run 24/7.

To combat the closure of Shepherd’s Bush, the Met has announced two possible contact points where residents can have face-to-face discussions with their local officers about non-urgent matters.

The new bases at Westfield shopping centre and Bush Theatre in Uxbridge Road could be open to the public from 7-8pm daily and from 2-3pm every Saturday.

Safer Neighbourhood Teams will continue to work out of Fulham, Shepherd’s Bush and Hammersmith stations, as well as Empress State Building in Lillie Road and 77 Glenthorne Road.

Mr Johnson said: "Londoners have repeatedly told us that putting more officers on the streets is their top priority, not keeping them hidden behind desks in offices which the public rarely set foot in. By getting our police out onto the streets and into the heart of their communities, we will drive down crime and boost confidence, and at the same time build a Met Police Service which is leaner, more efficient and more effective."